Family members and co‑workers include anyone who has a personal relationship with the licensee or knows them in a professional capacity. These individuals may encourage the licensee to seek assistance through the HPRP, serve as worksite monitors, and/or support the licensee throughout their lifelong recovery process.

The HPRP may only accept referrals about a potentially impaired health care professional when the referral is made by another licensed health care professional. If a family member, employer, or co‑worker is also a licensed health care professional, they may submit a referral to the HPRP if they have firsthand knowledge of the licensee’s impairment. The impairment does not need to have occurred in the workplace for a referral to be valid.

Family members, Human Resources departments, spouses, siblings, children, and others who are not licensed health care professionals, but wish to report concerns about a licensee, may file a complaint through the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) at www.michigan.gov/LARA.

The Michigan Public Health Code (333.16222, Sec. 16222) states that any health care professional with firsthand knowledge of a potential impairment of another licensed health care professional is a mandated reporter. This does not apply to individuals who obtain knowledge of impairment while providing professional services to a licensee with whom they have a bona fide treatment relationship.

Unless the licensee provides a release of information authorizing the HPRP to communicate with family members or co‑workers, the HPRP is not permitted to disclose any details regarding the licensee’s involvement with the program.